title: Evaluation of ultrasound-guided vascular access in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the technique and determine the feasibility, success rate, perceived difficulty, and time to vascular access using ultrasound guidance for jugular vein catheterization in a cardiac arrest dog model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine Walker hounds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 27 jugular catheterizations were performed postcardiac arrest using ultrasound guidance. Catheterizations were recorded based on the order in which they were performed and presence/absence of a hematoma around the vein. Time (minutes) until successful vascular access and perceived difficulty in achieving vascular access (scale of 1 = easy to 10 = difficult) were recorded for each catheterization. Mean time to vascular access was 1.9 minutes (95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.4 min) for catheterizations without hematoma, versus 4.3 minutes (1.8-10.1 min) for catheterizations with hematoma (P = 0.1). Median perceived difficulty was 2 of 10 (range 1-7) for catheterizations without hematoma, versus 2 of 10 (range 1-8) for catheterizations with hematoma (P = 0.3). A learning curve was evaluated by comparing mean time to vascular access and perceived difficulty in initial versus subsequent catheterizations. Mean time to vascular access was 2.5 minutes (1.0-6.4 min) in the initial 13 catheterizations versus 3.3 minutes (1.5-7.5 min) in the subsequent 14 catheterizations (P = 0.6). Median perceived difficulty in the first 13 catheterizations (3, range 1-8) was significantly greater (P = 0.049) than median perceived difficulty in the subsequent 14 catheterizations (2, range 1-6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound-guided jugular catheterization is associated with a learning curve but is successful in obtaining rapid vascular access in dogs. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm the utility of this technique in a clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chamberlin
authors.forename: Lauren A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boscan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: catheterization; central venous cannulation; critical care; emergency medicine; interventional